Page 315 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 9 February 2021
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MS BERRY: The lead dust that was found at Richardson Primary School was found in the HVAC system, not across the school classrooms, so there was no exposure to anybody that made it unsafe.
MR COE: Minister, what action have you taken to inform the parents of current and past students of the school about the finding of the paint?
MS BERRY: The lead paint at Richardson Primary School is lead paint that is post 1965, so there are very low levels of lead in the paint. The dust particles that come off that have very low levels of lead paint. The schoolteachers and the school principal were advised as soon as those lead particles were discovered, on Friday. The school community and parents were advised on Monday.
MR HANSON: Minister, what are the potential health risks to children if they are exposed to dust from lead paint?
MS BERRY: All of the advice that I get comes from the experts. With respect to the existence of lead paint particles to the thresholds that appear in our schools occasionally, I am advised by the experts that the risk is very low. One of those experts happens to be the Chief Health Officer, who has also expertly led us through an international health pandemic. The ACT government always takes the advice of the experts in circumstances like this, just as we have over the last 12 months with the Chief Health Officer. A Health official is on our panel of experts to advise the Education Directorate on managing lead paint in our schools, as well as ensuring that the communities in those schools can access information about lead paint when that is required. The ACT government always depends on and works on the advice of the experts, and in this case it is no different.
Sport—facilities
MR DAVIS: My question is to the Minister for Sport and Recreation and relates to the need for multi-sport facilities in my electorate of Brindabella. Noting ACT Labor’s election commitment to build an ice rink in Tuggeranong, has the ACT government considered purchasing and developing the much-loved Fadden multi-sports facility, the Mpowerdome, which has just recently been placed on the market?
MS BERRY: The facility that Mr Davis refers to has been, I understand, on the market for quite some time now. I understand that there were some parties interested in the purchase of that site, but for whatever reason—financial or otherwise—it did not meet the needs of those particular organisations.
The ice sports facility is one facility in Tuggeranong that will be a much-loved facility, and work is happening in that space to get that facility going. But it will be more than an ice sports facility because it will also include a world-class climbing gym for the Tuggeranong community. We are making sure that our facilities are purpose-built but also available to not just one sport alone but many supports.
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